Plow hitch



C. MILLER PLOW HITCH July 21, 1931.

Filed Nov. 4, 1929 '2 Sheets-Sheet l C'onda flf i/Zler ATTORNEY toreceive a suitable pivot, whereby the lever jlever 36,

mounted upon the offset extremity of the -is mounted upon the. frame30for pivotal movement. The lever 32 is formed at an appropriate point inits length with a notch 34 to cooperate with'a substantially V-shapeddog 35 which is pivoted upon one end of a the latter being alsopivotally lever 32 as clearly illustrated in Figure 5. In addltion tothis the lever-36 isplvotedad :jacent one end" as at 37. I 1

i any suitable adapted to receive the dog arrangement of the parts.

posed ends A clevis including spacer links 38 and 39 respectively, whichare carried by the oputilized to provide a connection between thetractor and the substantially V-shaped dog 35, and as clearlyillustrated in the drawings,

the link 38 connected with the tractor in manner while the link- 39 is35 in the normal 'lheplate 40 is carriedby one end of a slide l1 andoffset laterally with relation thereto, the. slide e1 housing,

medium of subject matter .of the present invention, the link 39 of heclevis is received by thedog 35' being mounted in suitable spaced-guides42 directly beneath. the bottom of thehousmg above described. This slideis substantially as clearly illustrated in Figure 1, and one .limb ofthis dog is received by thenotch 3e oflthe lever 32. When the tractor isin operaand'the parts remain in the position illustion, the'lever 12 isarranged in a true vertical position directly behind the clutch pedal11,

trated in Figures 1 and 3, until the implement being drawn by thetractor meets with some obstruction, which causes the implement to bestopped or the draft load to become excessive for the tractor. p

I Under such conditions, the tractor continues to move forwardly, andexerts a pull .upon the lever 36 to the clevis connection, 7 moving thelever 36 upon'its pivot. 37, I which lever 36 byreason of its pivotalconnection with the lever 34; shifts the latter in and a direction toseparateit from the pivoted dog 35. Just as soon as the dog .35isrefleasedby the lever 32, the dog is allowed to "swing upon its pivot toa position substan- "tially reverse to that illustrated in Figure 5,thereby releasing the clevis and disconnecting thetractor from the draftconnection,

with the lever ofv an intermediate plate {i0 is chain 23 which isconnected 12. Now, dur1ng a continued forward movement of the tractor,a'pull is eircept for the exertedupon the chain 23, and as this chain isconnected with the lower end of the lever 12, the latter is shifted'uponitspivot 13 in the direction of the clutch pedal 11. It comes in contactwith this pedal, depressing the latter in order to effect a release ofthe clutch,

and just as soon as the clutch is so released,

the pawl-16 of the lever 12 engages the notch 15 of the rack bar andholds the clutch so isleased. The chain 23 under the pull abovedescribed slides through thebracket 27, and 1 just as soon as the clutchis released, the ring like member '29 of the chain isbrought intoengagement with the bracket 28 and thereby checks or prohibits a furtherpull or'stretch upon the lever 12. j i

It is manifest however, that before the chain 23 exerts a'pull upon thelever 12 for the purpose above .mentioned, the rod 21 slides through thehousing, and asthis rod 1 is surround'd by a heavy coil spring 25, thecomponent parts of the draft connection function to allow the clutch tobe gradually engaged and disengaged under such circumstances. The heavycoil spring 25 is a very important element of the invention, andfunctions to stop the tractor after the clutchhas disengaged, graduallyand without any sudden jerks or pulls upon the implement or plowconnected therewith. The degree of movement of the lever 32 in order'toeffect a release of the dog 35, can be varied by changing its pivotalpoint on the frame 30, and it can also beregulated by a tension spring 11 which surrounds a rod145 commonly connected with the lever 32 andslidable through a bracket 16 carried by the housing as clearlyillustrated in Figure 3. 'When the clutch has beendisengaged inthemanner above described it is locked in this position, by the pawl 16engaging the notch 15 of the rack bar, andthereby prevents thefclutchfrom assuming its normal operative position incident to any movement ofthe tractor, which would of course result in successive forward andrearward movements of the tractor under such conditions. It will benoted, that when the tractor has been separated from the draftconnection, by the shifting of the dog 35 from the position illustratedinFigure upony' its pivot to its normal position to againTbeengaged'bythe lever 32. After the tractor has beensbacked in thedirection of the implementto be drawn thereby,

and auto- 1 maticallyconnected with the draft conne'c-T the rack bar, sothat the fclutchcanbe again engaged, while the spring25' expands to reegether with its-associated parts. The spring 26included in the length ofthe chain 23 1-1-7 turnthe rod Zlto'its normal position to lows thelever 12 to be; operated to permit I 1 the clutchto, be ireengagedwhenthe chain isnnder tension as'will be readily under stood.

While an believed that, from the fore going description the nature andadvantages I of, the invention'will be readily apparent, I desireto haveit understood that I do not I [limit myself to wha t is hereinillustrated and scope of whatfisfclaimed.

.- also having 7 draft member,

' I described, and that such changes may be resorted; to when desired asfall within the at I claim is;'c i I 1. A draft connection of thecharacter de- I scribed including a draft member, a tractor controlelement,.a housing connected withthe aframe like'memberprojectinglaterally fromthe housing, a lever pivot ed onthe frameandformed with a notch, a second lever pivoted adjacent pivotalconnection with I the pivotally supportedrby'the second mentionedlever,a slide aclevis carried by f the slide and connectedv with'the tractor,and,

adapted to be engaged by said dog, said dog normallygengagingthenotch inthe first men-- 40 tionedleverfor holding the-tractor and draft crankdog, a frame -1nent and received by said the tractor and draft memberagainst relative movement, andadapted to be automatically releasedtherefrom when the comes excessiveto effect a track dog from the housinI s I I 3. A'draft connection of the character de- 'tion, the operatorreleasesthe lever 12 from scribed including a draft member,

a housing connected with mountedon the housing, a clevis carried by theslide and, adapted like member I projecting laterally from the housing,a dog su t d by the frame like member for pivotal move:

' clevis, and means,

for holding the dog fixed with relation to the housing and adapted to beautomatically released fromthe clevis' when the draft load becomesexcessive, and thereby effect a separation of the tractor fromsaidhousing.

p In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

l I CONDA MILLER.

one; end and .-member-against relative movement,'and auto- I l'matically releasedtherefrom when the draft load becomes excessive Y ofthe tractor from said hous ng, means pro- I 'VIdIDg aconnectlon: betweentheghousing and 1 v to effect a separation said control element ofthetractor to operate ,f-the 'latter uponcontinued movement of theformed carried 'byith tractor with relation! to'said draft member,

flancl' rneans for holding I 7 against retrograde'imovement-in its givenposition. I

said control element 2. *A draft, connection ofthe character dea housingconnected withtheidraftmember, "a frame projecting laterally fr m thlike member a lever pivoted on the frame andhousing,

pivotal conlever a slide mounted onfthehousing, a clevis e slide andadapted to be con- 7 with a notch,--a=second lever pivoted a adjacentone end and also having nection withthe first mentioned lever, a dogpivotally supported by the second-mentioned nected with theitractonandto be engaged by I said dog,

said dog normally engaging I the 'I notch in the first mentionedleverfor holding I to be connected with a draft load be separation ofthe the draft' member, a slide def

